Nord university Conference report ISBN 978-82-7456-759-7 Bodø 2016
High North Dialogue
The blue future of the Ar c tic 25 th -26 th May 2016, Bodø, Norway
Coordinating author:
Elena Dybtsyna
Copyright: Nord University ISBN: 978-82-7456-759-7
Layout and print: Trykkeriet, Nord universitet www.nord.no
www.highnorthcenter.com // www.highnorthdialogue.no // www.highnorthnews.com
Innhold
Preface ... 1
Day 1 ... 2
Session 1: The Blue Future and the Arctic: Political Perspectives ... 2
Session 2: Politics and Economy of the Arctic ... 4
Session 3: Blue Potential ... 7
Session 4: Arctic Innovation ... 10
Day 2 ... 12
Session 5: Presentations from Nord University ... 12
Scenario workshop in connection with Master course ... 12
Business Index North ... 13
Session 6: The Arctic and the Blue Dimension ... 15
“High North Hero” ... 17
Session 7: Future Arctic Leaders – Talking Barents ... 19
Discussion panel ... 21
The Petroleum Industry – Perspectives and Opportunities for Northern Norway ... 22
Lesson Learned: Future Perspectives on the Blue Potential ... 24
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Preface
Worldwide interest in the Arctic is growing. Changing ice conditions, an increase in regional development, and international geopolitics have placed the High North at the center of attention. Since 2007, the High North Dialogue Conference series has brought together major interested parties – present and future – concerned with Arctic development, including politicians and heads of administration from central governments in all Arctic States, major extractive industry leaders, and representatives from fishing communities, academia, local communities, indigenous people, local politicians, other important stakeholders and master and Ph.D. students. As suggested by its name, the focus of the High North Dialogue is on the aspect of dialogue. This dialogue takes place between young people, future leaders, and representatives from the Arctic region’s industry—ranging from maritime to land-based industry—
authorities, and academics, in order to share information and discuss the best practices, with the aim of tackling challenges in the region.
In 2016, the twelfth High North Dialogue Conference has as its main topic “The Blue Future of the Arctic”. For more information on the history of former conferences, please visit www.highnorthdialogue.com.
One of the main target groups of the conference is Master- and Ph.D. students, from all around the world, interested in Arctic issues. Students came from the Nordic countries, North America, Asia, Russia, Ukraine and Europe at large; Master- and Ph.D. courses with scenario workshop were organized before and after the conference. This conference provided a unique opportunity for those students, who come from the North but do not deal with Arctic topics on a daily basis, to learn more about Arctic issues, and for those more familiar with Arctic issues to interact with fellow Arctic practitioners and, in particular, the participating students.
This conference report presents the groups’ report on the presentations of the conference sessions, written by Master students (contributing authors) as part of their learning process on the Master course, EN313E
“High North Dialogue: International Perspectives on Business and Governance in the High North”. Ph.D.
students taking part in the Ph.D. course, DR437E “Governance in the High North: Implications for the Private and Public Sectors”, were assigned to check the summarizing and reflection of issues discussed during sessions, as well as the quality of the text and arguments in the groups’ report made by Master students (lead authors).
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Day 1
Session 1: The Blue Future and the Arctic: Political Perspectives
Contributing authors: Alina Zorinova, Aleksey Toropov, Ekaterina Litovchenko, Pavlo Andriichuk, Shuyi Shi, and Anastasiia Ponomareva. Lead author: Julia Olsen
Edward Bannerman, advisor to Vice-President Jyrki Katainen at the European Commission, opened the session by stating that sustainable development is the way forward for future global development. There has been considerable scientific emphasis on sustainable challenges during recent decades. However, many other issues will require a sustainable approach. Our careless way of living has damaged nature, and the recovery process will take hundreds of years. People in developed countries consume much more than they need, compared with those in less developed countries.
According to researchers, population growth during the next 15 years will be significant. Are there enough resources for everyone? There is a need to understand how much resources population is using for living and what the result is. Unfortunately, many resources are limited and nonrenewable; some will not last more than 20-30 years. Moreover, many more people will experience a lack of fresh water in the next 50 years. Arctic development has a prospective role to play for the future. It may solve many of the above-mentioned problems. However, future development will require the implementation of the circular rather than the traditional economy. Mr. Bannerman concluded that more investments are needed for technological development in the Arctic.
The opening line from Grete Ellingsen, State Secretary (Ministry of Local Government and Modernization, Norway), was that the Arctic Ocean is like a treasure box of resources and possibilities. There is a need to use the ocean’s treasures in a sustainable way through international cooperation. Norway is an Arctic country, more sea than land, and 80% of its seas are located north of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Ocean and its resources are very important for Norwegian economic development.
Thus the aim of future development is to be among the most creative and sustainable regions in the world. The questions about climate change, emissions and population growth are of great importance to Norway.
They concern fisheries, fish farming, and food security. All these fundamental changes lead to new opportunities, and business needs to be developed in a new way (blue-green development). Oceans cover 70% of the world’s surface, but less than 5% of global food production comes from the sea. So, how is it possible to increase production from the sea? One way is to develop better commercial use of the sea’s food chain. Another way is the use of biotechnologies. The Arctic Ocean is the home of Arctic fish, amongst which
Greie Ellingsen, State Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Modernization.
Edward Bannerman, advisor to Vice-President Jyrki Katainen at the European Commission
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are many unique and important species. However, other species will be important in the future. Sustainable development is an important goal, not only for the Norwegian government but also for the majority of people. Sustainable management does not only depend on national regulations; successful international cooperation is also important if sustainable development is to succeed in the Arctic Ocean. Norway encourages sustainable development in the High North through different types of cooperative activities in the Arctic, such as the Arctic Council, Barents Cooperation and the Nordic Council of Ministers. It is very important for many young people to be interested in the High North; in order to be able to succeed in the future, it is vital to have young specialists and their enthusiasm and knowledge. Many students today represent the leaders of tomorrow and they will have a crucial role in the development of our common future.
Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, Member of the Danish Parliament (Greenland), highlighted that the human dimension holds the key to sustainable development in Greenland. It is important to apply a holistic approach to the development of the Arctic, with a strong focus on the human dimension, human rights, and indigenous people’s rights. Four million people live in the Arctic and they are central to its future; it is of increasing importance to understand their livelihoods. Local communities are facing a number of challenges. For example, climate change affects the Arctic environment and animals, and it has a great impact on the Arctic people as well. Greenland’s economy is currently under great pressure: there is a lack of proper reforms, mineral and oil prices are declining on the world market, and the economy is mainly based on the export of fish. The growing international interest in the Arctic region is very much welcomed by Greenland, which has a long list of new business opportunities that are yet to be realized. Currently, fisheries make up 90% of Greenlandic exports. Greenland welcomes 50,000 tourists per year and hopes that this number will increase in the future. They are working on attracting more investments in the region. However, the human dimension must play an important role in future Arctic development.
Tomas Norvoll, President of the Nordland County Government, addressed the topic of sustainable development of the Arctic region. He mentioned two recent events that may influence the Arctic’s future.
The first is the Paris agreement on climate change. The second is the Arctic Investment Protocol, which defines the Arctic region as the world resource treasury and establishes six principles for its sustainable development. Mr. Norvoll pointed out that many countries have an interest in the region, and it is important to build a resilient society in the High North based on the development of economic activities. The topic of Arctic development is especially important for Norway, as its income relies heavily on the activities of the High North: fisheries and other seafood production, mineral and oil extraction and so on. Ninety percent of Norwegian income is generated by sea-based activities. Moreover, 10% of the Norwegian population lives above the Arctic Circle. Generally, the trigger for discussions on the Arctic’s sustainable development is the significant influence of climate change on the region. For instance, a rise in temperature is happening much faster in the High North than in other parts of the world. This provokes the melting of ice, changes in marine lifestyle, ocean acidification, etc. In this respect, it is crucial to carry out scientific activities in the region to prevent negative changes. Tomas Norvoll concluded with the importance of creating a full value chain in the High North.
Canadian Professor Tony Penikett, mediator and negotiator, and former Premier of Yukon Territory, in his presentation, “Resources: Who Benefits?”, introduced the Yukon renewable resources co-management model. He emphasized the important variables of this development: local employment and environment protection; maximum regional economic benefits and minimum negative social impacts; national revenue;
and global demand. However, as he pointed out, in fact, the power structure for non-renewable resource users is very different due to global (multinational corporation) demand; national government revenues;
regional economic and social interests; and community employment and environmental protection.
Therefore, the community, which suffers, has very little influence on the issue of utilization of resources. This is not beneficial for Arctic development in the long term. In conclusion, Prof. Penikett suggested the establishment of the “Arctic Standard”. He has encouraged a university and/or NGO to start developing a
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database with information on Arctic resource deals, wages, resource-revenue-sharing, and benefits agreements. Then it might be possible over time to establish best practices and/or an “Arctic Standard”.
With the help of this database, different projects can be more easily compared with each other.
The speakers of session 1 takes questions from the audience, moderated by Arne. O. Holm, editor-in-chief of High North News.
Session 2: Politics and Economy of the Arctic
Contributing authors: Zarina Dzioeva, Timothy Hughes, Tatiana Kharchenko, Daria Kopalina, Irina Pylypiv, Viktoriia Shuflinskaia, Dmytro Shytikov, Marat Tukhvatullin and Jiyeong Kim. Lead author: Gudrun Ros Arnadottir
Professor Michael Byers, from the University of British Columbia, in his presentation, “From Extinction Tourism to Extreme Oil: Is Arctic Economic Development Such a Good Idea?”, focused on the effects that both tourism and the oil industry have had and will have in the Arctic. Climate change has made these operations possible, but they now contribute to climate change themselves in a feedback loop that needs to be broken. There is an irony in being able to see and work in the Arctic because of global climate change, and then adding to it. The excitement of Arctic tourism and oil has not taken into account the reality of climate change as it is today, according to Professor Byers. Experts are operating on information about climate change from 10 or 5 years ago and it is paramount that the information is updated.
Michael Byers speaks about oil, tourism and climate change in the Arctic.
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Jan-Gunnar Winther, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, introduced what he considers important building blocks for successful development of the Arctic: “Building Blocks for a Successful Development of the Arctic”. Peace and stability is the first block. The world is full of conflicts, but the Arctic stands out as an extraordinarily stable region. This peace cannot be taken for granted as contemporary conflicts in other areas could have spillover effects. The region has been built up through sound respect for international law and smart institutional building and these values now need extra care and stimulation. A successful Arctic Council is also important to the future of the region. The institution is 20 years old and has created throughout the years policies that have shaped the Arctic. The Arctic Council has been instrumental in finding solutions to regional challenges and been a model for regional governance, knowledge and stability. The combined effect of a growing Arctic Council, both as the number of players increases and the importance and relevance both regionally and globally grows, calls for thoughtful consideration of the future role of the Arctic Council. The Arctic region will become more important as the northern waters´ biomass increases in a warmer world.
Management of the Arctic needs to follow the highest standards available with conservation and sustainable use of the guidelines. The Arctic can become a leading star in blue and green transition. Business leaders should think, “What works in the Arctic works everywhere”. Implementing the Paris Agreement is another important project. Business needs to be in harmony with the people of the North. There should be no development without the input of the local population. Indigenous people constitute around 10% of the Arctic population. They need and should take part in knowledge-based business management. A possible Arctic investment protocol could be to develop the human capital of the region. No one nation can sustain the knowledge base needed in the Arctic. International cooperation is therefore necessary to investigate and monitor changes in the Arctic.
Professor Lassi Heininen, from the University of Lapland, in his talk,
“The Arctic as an Exceptional Space in International Relations:
Critical Reading on International Relations and Geopolitics”, described the Arctic as exceptional in international relations, concerning both international law and geopolitics. The political stability of the Arctic is, however, rarely discussed as part of geopolitics and there is a need to change this. One reason for this is that people see the end of the Cold War as the end of geopolitics.
Geopolitics has been mystified to encompass only military issues, but that is a very narrow understanding of the issue. Geopolitics more widely is about social issues, about people living together in spaces. Even maps of the Arctic are political, in the way that they portray the region. Geopolitics is the politicizing of physical space.
When Norway decides to give access to oil drilling, it is a geopolitical issue because it affects how people deal with the land. When there is talk about state sovereignty that is geopolitics. There is a need to
focus on and acknowledge the achievement of the Arctic as a stable region. It truly is an achievement. In addition, many other regions would love to have reached this level. The Arctic used to be a military theatre, but the people of the Arctic became focused on environmental and human security instead and pushed their
Professor Lassi Heininen Jan-Gunnar Winther
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governments to act in accordance. The evolution of the region into a peaceful one was no accident or coincidence but the result of a concerted effort of its people.
Frode Nilsen, CEO of Leonhard Nilsen & Sønner, spoke in his presentation, “Arctic Competence for Arctic Operations”, on behalf of LNS, a mining owner and contractor and a tunneling contractor. LNS tries to combine the best of the mining and tunneling industries. They engage in long-term projects rather than looking for short-term profit. They operate in numerous locations, both within the Arctic and outside of it, for example in Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Hong Kong, Chile, and Antarctica. Mr. Nilsen discussed the specific challenges the company faces in the Arctic. Chief among those are environmental challenges, the long distances, and the difficulty associated with creating the competence to work under tough weather conditions. One needs to live in the area to know how to operate in it. There are also issues with bureaucracy and political slowness; it is very difficult to find finance for mining projects in the Arctic and acceptance from the indigenous peoples. So why should there be mines in the Arctic? Mr. Nilsen provided a few reasons. Europe consumes 20% of the minerals and metals in the world but produces only 3%. There are many large deposits of minerals and metals in the Arctic, and green change relies on minerals, copper, graphite, quartzite and many more that are found in the Arctic. How should it be done? By maintaining high environmental standards, using companies that have experience, in close cooperation with local authorities, while educating the local people, and involving native people in the operations. Mining in the Arctic is one of the main solutions for the problems of climate change, according to the speaker. The Arctic governments should set up an investment fund for native and local people to invest in projects in their own region. In Greenland, they have agreements with authorities that ensure that at least 75% of the workers will come from the local community; if these workers do not have the necessary education they will educate them in Greenland or possibly abroad.
The panel of session 2, moderated by Heather Nicol Professor of Trent University, Canada
Anu Fredrikson, Director of the Arctic Economic Council Secretariat, in her talk, “Arctic Economic Council:
Sustainable Business Development in the Arctic”, introduced their vision for future business opportunities in the Arctic. The Arctic Economic Council is a new organization that had its inaugural meeting in 2014. They are an independent organization, whose membership mirrors the Arctic Council. Their goals are to establish strong market connections between Arctic states, support public-private partnership, create stable and predictable regulatory frameworks, and encourage knowledge and data exchange between industry and academia.
Sven Roald Nystö, Senior Advisor at ARRAN and former President of the Norwegian Sami Parliament, spoke of the important cultural connections territorial affiliations have for the Sami, as well as for all indigenous people. Nature is important to Sami livelihoods and culture, as is it gives an easy access to an abundance of
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resources. In Norway, there has been a close relationship between the Sami and the state, characterized by dependency. The state should, in his opinion, focus on application-based subsidy schemes for the protection of traditional industries. However, the Norwegian state has recently offered political support for projects encroaching on Sami lands, and this now troubles the relationship. The Sami parliament welcomes the opportunity to cooperate with global players and industry, but this need to happen with the participation and acceptance of the Norwegian state. If this type of cooperation does not occur, the Sami public and Sami parliament will be forced to refuse all projects on their lands. There could be a long-term negative effect on Sami business development if this happens. It is of paramount importance that the indigenous youth are able to take a proactive part in the development of the region. There is much work ahead, but Sven Roald is optimistic on behalf of the Sami.
Session 3: Blue Potential
Contributing authors: Pavel Belyaev, Victoria Filippova, Saiful Hasan, Lidiia Ievmenchikova, Maria Kiryukh, Dmitry Kovrov, Mariia Miliuchenko, and Yunhan Wang. Lead authors: Sayyod Nuritdinov and Barbora Padrtova.
Session 3 opened with a lecture on climate model projections of future Arctic shipping access by Professor Laurence C. Smith from the University of California. The speaker began by emphasizing that there are two known and certain factors influencing climate model projections: ice extent and composition of ice. These factors will surely decline in the future, making Arctic shipping more accessible. However, various unknown factors also contribute to future Arctic shipping and climate projections. The main part of the presentation dealt with modeling future climate projections and their usage. There are several dozens of such models, but all of them are of high uncertainty. Thus, the multi-model method should be used to make decisions. It involves many projections and provides the most reliable view of the possible future. Moreover, Professor Smith mentioned that the perception of the Arctic and ice in the Arctic has changed drastically over the last 150 years. In the 19th century, the High North was seen as a highly dangerous place and fighting Arctic ice was an extremely difficult task, while today shipping in the High North is seen as a common thing that faces several challenges. The speaker concluded that the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic will remain of high importance in the future. In addition, he noted that access to Polar Class vessels (PC6) is as important as climate changes in the Arctic, and wide access to them may significantly decrease the influence of climate factors.
Geir Ove Ystmark, Managing Director of the Norwegian Seafood Federation, opened his presentation by stating that the climate is changing and this has a significant influence on the seafood area. However, at the same time, people need to keep in mind and to decide how to solve two large issues. Firstly, population growth now constitutes one of the greatest challenges. In 1970, the Earth’s population was 4 billion people;
in 2011, it was already 7 billion and, by 2050, there is an expectation that it will rise to 9 billion people. With the increased population, demand for food also increases accordingly. Although 70% of the Earth is covered by water, only 1.8% of all food production is made up of seafood. Thus, the biggest challenge is to increase production of seafood from the ocean. Currently, Norway has the greatest potential for seafood and fish.
Secondly, the fact that production nowadays only focuses on parts of fish means that there is a huge potential to use fish oil, as well as to process the tails and heads of fish. According to Mr. Ystmark, two goals should be achieved in the future: the first is to increase productivity, while using all parts of the fish; the second is to have a well-managed industry. Current Norwegian-Russian cooperation might serve as a good example. In future, production should increase and, thus, investments in a marine sphere are of the highest importance.
It is also important to mention that, in 1971, the production of fish was 98 MT, but by 2011 the production
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had increased several times – to 1,000,000 MT. The amount of production has further dramatically increased in recent years. There is greater utilization of new technologies; sea farmers use lasers, sound, shielding, offshore bases, etc. An important element is also ocean forest and fish farming; farmers are able to create natural conditions for fish. The “Blue Future of the Arctic” refers to the marine world; there should be more emphasis on and investments in this.
Q&A during one of sessions.
Felix Tschudi, Chairman, and owner of the Tschudi Group, in his presentation, spoke about his company and the history of the Tschudi Group. With roots dating back to 1883, the Tschudi Group is an offshore, shipping and logistic group. It has been focusing, in particular, on the east-west trading of cargoes and projects involving the Baltic, Russia and the CIS countries, including the High North of Russia and Norway. The speaker also talked about serving a wide variety of vessels and cargoes, generating savings in time, cost and emissions: large tankers, bulk carriers, liquefied natural gas (LNG), reefer heavy lift and multipurpose vessels.
In his presentation, the speaker identified the fall in bunker fuel prices as a key reason for the decline in Arctic shipping. Because of a sharp decrease in fuel expenses, transportation costs have also decreased and that has had a negative economic effect on the development of cargo transportation in shortcuts. Mr. Tschudi said, “The economic calculations have changed since 2013, and the benefits of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as a shortcut have largely been lost. The value of the time saved is much less compared to 2013.” The additional factor constraining the development of cargo transportation in the Arctic zone is a reduction in the availability of accompanying ice-breakers from Rosatomflot. This company owns a fleet of ice-breakers with nuclear engines and is the only company in the world with this specialization. In the past, Rosatomflot sought to provide services to foreign cargo carriers. However, today, the intensive development of the oil and gas project, Yamal LNG, and Sabetta Port demands the large involvement of a nuclear ice-breaking fleet that reduces the ability of Rosatomflot to maintain and assist commercial shipping operations. Prof. Lawrence Smith and Prof. Scott Stephenson used data from dozens of existing climate models and “translated” it with the use of a geographic information system (GIS) to devise an Arctic Transportation Accessibility Model (ATAM). Their model shows a simulated future of sea ice extent, based on climate models, and then calculates the fastest routes through the Arctic Ocean. Based on their research, the NSR is highly likely to remain the preferred Arctic shipping route, with only some outlier models predicting the Northwest Passage (NWP) as a significant transport route. In the second part of the 21st century, a more direct transpolar sea route, outside the Russian Exclusive Economic Zone and closer to the North Pole, may also become feasible.
In the presentation, Mr. Tschudi has discussed the cargo transportation in the Arctic zone. On the map, he visually showed the navigable movement on the Kara Sea during the period from January 1, 2016, to May 10,
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2016. Besides, Mr. Tschudi also referred to a research report produced by Copenhagen Business School, in which the multiple-factor analysis of cargo transportation through the NSR has been carried out. The speaker recognized that earlier produced forecasts of a rapid increase in movement for the NSR were excessively optimistic. However, according to world experts, the current cargo transportation recession is temporary.
Despite the decrease in goods’ turnover in the Arctic, implementation of the current deliveries of production to the High North continues all the same, and production is carried out in already developed oil and gas fields.
The speaker concluded his presentation with the words: “The Arctic shipment isn't dead, but it has been postponed temporarily.”
Egil Bergsager, Senior Advisor, Lukoil Overseas North Shelf, opened his presentation with the following statement: “Petroleum is considered one of the most important energy sources in the world”. Both directly and indirectly, there is a need for oil in everyday life. It is believed that it will remain an important energy source for more decades. The Arctic area is one of the potential sources of petroleum. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) report, around 25% of the world’s undiscovered resources lie in the Arctic. These statistics hence illustrate the importance of the Arctic. Moreover, the demand for petroleum is increasing because of the consistent economic growth of the big economies of the world. A few Asian emerging countries are the big consumers of petroleum; the Northern Passage could be the new shipping route to supply petroleum to Asia. On the positive side, the shipping industry in the Arctic is also developing and it provides the potential for the new shipping route to Asia for petroleum. The maritime border agreement is fair and controlled. Norway and Russia’s common border has remained peaceful and free of conflict for more than 100 years. Norway and Russia maintain good cooperation: both vertical and horizontal cooperation. The official name of the treaty is “Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation”. Norway and Russia can help each other in many ways to exploit the valuable resources in the Arctic; their controlled and smooth relationship also gives hope for the potential future of the petroleum industry in the Arctic.
Hilde Sjurelv, CEO at Sjurelv AS, said that, since the beginning, one of the company´s core activities has been to develop innovative cultivation technology, which is needed to make the industrial cultivation of seaweed a reality in Norway and Europe. In 2005, the shrimp industry collapsed in Norway. Needing to find different business, the company looked at short-term and long-term possibilities. They wanted to earn money, to hire employees, and to contribute to value-creation. After some investigation and cooperation agreements, it was decided to start a business involving seaweed. They had the vision to enable large-scale ocean farming of seaweed for the production of food, biochemicals, energy and other valuable products. The company had two different political initiatives going on at the same time. They needed the politicians to confirm that cultural planning would open to seaweed. It took six years from the initiative to receiving a decision from the politicians. This was the start of seeing seaweed as a possibility and they were pioneers. Their goal was to be an innovative seaweed business developer, and in addition to provide employment for the local population.
Their business opportunities have the potential for innovation. The governmental framework is concerned with building the infrastructure. Their experience shows that when employing local people for work at seaweeds plant, it is necessary to have competent employees with a good standard of education. According to Ms. Sjurelv, the seaweed in Northern Norway has a tremendous future. The reason for this is that it has more sugar, it grows faster and it has a longer sea swirl than seaweed in any other part of the world. However, the important thing is the value of using seaweed as future energy. Seaweed is a green alternative that might just save the planet.
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Session 4: Arctic Innovation
Contributing authors: Sasha Avdeeva, Nodirjon Boymirov, Nataliia Storchak, and Aleksander Svendsgård.
Lead author: Jon A. Skinner
The panel of session 4 was moderated by Petter Nore Norwegian of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pan Xingming, Professor and Director of the European Studies Centre, School of Advanced International and Area Studies, East China Normal University, emphasized that China is a major developing country in the Northern Hemisphere. It is actively participating in Arctic governance and, “despite its lack of physical proximity to the Arctic, China has demonstrated a significant and sustained interest in the region”. This interest could lead to the growth of business in the Arctic region. The professor covered the motivations for Arctic governance; the impact of Arctic issues for China; and the approaches China utilizes to participate in Arctic governance. He also noted the environmental impact on the Arctic of climate warming and its consequences, including the accelerated melting of Arctic sea ice and the opening of Arctic waterways. Arctic climate and environment changes have an effect on China`s climate and environmental security, while also providing new options for resource development. Dr. Xingming also discussed the main advantages and disadvantages of China`s participation in Arctic governance. He described the main avenues of China’s participation in Arctic governance as enhanced Arctic research, enactment of laws and regulations at the national level and strengthened multilateral and bilateral international cooperation. He also emphasized China`s interests in the Arctic. These include sailing or transit rights, resource development interests, scientific investigation and environmental protection. In conclusion, he emphasized that China respects the sovereignty and interests of the Arctic states in the Arctic. However, China is a major global player, which is determined to actively participate in Arctic governance through multilateral and bilateral cooperation; it advocates international law as the yardstick for Arctic governance, safeguards their legitimate interests in the region and can contribute in financing, technology, traffic flow infrastructure, resource development and ocean shipping advancement. China has proven willing to pay more for Russian LNG than Australian LNG and has long-term energy “security” objectives; this means maintaining strategic options.
Ken Coates, Director of the International Center for Northern Governance and Development at the University of Saskatchewan, stated that to make northern life better, there is a need to process a phenomenal amount of information. He pointed out that 90% of the scientists researching the Arctic are alive today. At the same time, there is a need to recognize the degree to which understanding the impact of innovation can be the key to a successful future. There are now breakthroughs in many branches of industry, such as mobile
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medicine, 3D printing (it is even possible to print chocolate), internet surgery, etc., with more to come. The impacts of these innovations are often lagging. He emphasized three things in the Arctic that could be improved: high-quality jobs for people currently of low skill, more targeted research and better access to capital.
Jonathan Read, from Boeing’s Phantom Works International Strategy and Program Development, highlighted the rule “Engage-Innovate-Create.” The presenter stressed the need for transformation of innovation:
embrace open innovations to achieve incremental and disruptive change; make cross-function and industrial collaboration; organize and utilize all available assets; have a commercial market industry. Accordingly, to introduce business innovation, it is necessary to work with the local authorities regulating oil and shipping.
He also pointed out that airborne communication coverage is more available today. In conclusion, he pointed out that all data related to biological information is and will be shared directly.
Inge Forseth, the Chief Operation Officer Technology and Software for the AKVA Group, noted in his presentation that the challenge for the coastal zone is growing exponentially, due to the environmental impacts of concentrated activities. He noted that development licenses could be assigned to encourage significant innovation and sustainable investment. In addition, he noted that the AKVA Group provides technology for the aquaculture industry for all the salmon producing companies in the world. Viewed from a global perspective, the Norwegian salmon industry is very small. However, the “commercial value” of the Norwegian industry is proportionately much larger. There are many opportunities for salmon farming in the North, owing to the higher quality of the water and optimal temperature.
Øystein Braathen, Leader of Statoil’s Arctic Development Program, provided insight into Statoil’s “Risk Based Approach” to the challenges of the Arctic, in which risks are assessed to ascertain the most viable methods.
The Barents Sea, in particular, has a low risk of icebergs but has other issues, such as marine icing (where ice sticks to boats in layers, eventually flipping the boat upside down). Solutions for marine icing, like coating the hulls of vessels, were also represented. Mr. Braathen also emphasized that there is not just one Arctic but distinct regional differences. For Statoil, it is important to compete globally and to pursue regional operations with others. Statoil continues to build on more than 40 years of experience in oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf, where they are committed to accommodating the world's energy needs in a responsible manner, applying technology and creating innovative business solutions.
Statoil’s core positions are in the Norwegian Barents Sea, on the east coast of Canada, and in the sub-Arctic.
Mr. Braathen concluded his speech by stating: “If you want to go quickly, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you have to go together.”
Hege Berg Thurmann, Group Leader in the Arctic Group, DNV GL Oil & Gas, spoke first about the general complexity of the LNG market in the Arctic region. This complexity necessitates new technology and standards being made viable, but, as of today, there are no proven tools and equipment that will provide this viability. There is also a need to adapt to the local environments and to understand that practices from other areas are not applicable in Arctic areas. Another issue that has received little attention up until recently is unpredictable weather forecasts. There is a lack of statistics in the region, making any kind of forecasting much more challenging than in already explored areas. Ms. Thurmann also placed considerable emphasis on the need for collaboration in order for Arctic development to happen.
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Day 2
Session 5: Presentations from Nord University
Contributing authors: Anastasiia Botnaresku, Solveig Gaundal, Vladimir Dutov, Kirill Gurvich, Victor Kakhankin, Alina Mulyukova, Tetiana Stefan, and Soyeon Park. Lead authors: Denis Iakovlev and Neil Oculi.
Scenario workshop in connection with Master course
The opening words of this session were given by Indra Øverland, Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and a Professor at Nord University. In his presentation, “What has Happened in the High North during the Last 15 years?”, he argued that “there is a lot of uncertainty in the world.” It is difficult to predict the future. A well-documented case of such uncertainty, as explained by Professor Øverland, is the Kodak company. This company was the market leader. However, their position as a global leader in the photography industry radically changed with the development of new digital cameras. The company failed to predict their impact. Kodak’s turnover was 13.3 billion USD in 2003. In 2012, the company became bankrupt. Professor Øverland examined the failures of the Nokia company as another example. Nokia was one of the market leaders in cell phones. In 2010, it was the largest producer of smartphones. In 2011, the situation changed dramatically; Nokia lost its market share to iPhone. Touch screen caused a revolution in the market; iPhone was the best in that technology and touch screen won. In explaining different scenarios, Professor Øverland highlighted two books. The first is International Arctic Petroleum Cooperation: Barents Sea Scenarios by Anatoli Bourmistrov, Frode Mellemvik, Alexei Bambulyak, Ove Gudmestad, Indra Overland, and Anatoly Zolotukhin. This book looked 10 years into the future. The second book, which also looked 10 years ahead, was published in 2004 with a focus on the High North. This book is Big Oil Playground, Russian Bear Preserve or European Periphery? The Russian Barents Sea Region towards 2015 by Bjørn Brunstad, Eyvind Magnus, Philip Swanson, Geir Hønneland and Indra Øverland. There, the authors described three scenarios, each containing something useful in relation to the future. However, there are many uncertainties in predictions. For example, these three scenarios from 2004 did not predict the Shtokman gas field project, which, at its inception, was an exciting opportunity. However, the 10-15 years scenarios demonstrate how difficult or even impossible it is to predict the future. For example, none of the scenarios foresaw the Ukraine revolution, the financial crisis of 2008 or the Paris 2015 climate agreement. There were also changes in the energy sector. For instance, from 2008 to 2016 the costs of solar panels decreased to 80% of their original cost. The scenarios also failed to predict the shale revolution in North American gas, etc.
During Professor Anatoli Bourmistrov’s presentation, the concept of how to create scenarios with scenario methodology was introduced. The reason behind his scenario introduction was that the audience could understand what methodology lay behind the scenario building, which was presented later by the best scenario builder group. Opening his presentation on scenario methodology, he suggested to the different business representatives at the High North Dialogue that “the students are the future” and that scenario building, therefore, can create a possible picture of the future, so that we can be prepared for several outcomes. He then stated, “Scenario building is there to create discussions”, and, by combining 10 different people from different backgrounds and educational levels (Masters- and Doctoral students), the discussion of predicting the future began. The students had 24 hours to create three different scenarios based on assumptions, uncertainties, and some underlying wildcards, which could be taken into consideration.
Professor Bourmistrov then described how the winners were selected by an evaluation panel, similar to the world-known “idol” competition. Besides Prof. Bourmistrov himself, the other judges were Finn Roar Aamodt from Statoil, Lars Kullerud from the University of the Arctic, Hanne Østerdal from Nordland County Council, Michael Byers from the University of British Columbia, Indra Øverland representing NUPI and Nord
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University, and the moderator behind the scenario exercise and the evaluation panel, Elena Dybtsyna. They concluded by announcing which of the scenario building groups was the winning team.
The winning group receive diplomas and applause.
The winning team of graduate students presented three scenarios for the fishing sector in the High North, 15 years into the future. The first scenario, entitled Keep Calm and Go Green, predicts high infrastructure development, in which the North Sea Route will provide an increase in fishing, transportation, and the tourism sector. This scenario predicts a high chance of Arctic delineation issues and migration from the Arctic.
In this scenario, there is medium cooperation within the Arctic and a low chance of moving from a fuel economy to a greener economy. There are key implications of this scenario. They include increased demand for marine food, improved global food security, change in consumption behavior and new fishing regulations.
The second scenario, Work Hard, Play Hard, assumes that the North Sea Route will serve as a corridor for global markets. However, there will be little involvement by indigenous people and possible conflict within the region. This scenario predicts great pressure on primary industry and the Arctic being a resource frontier.
There is also an increase in science and development in this scenario. China becomes an important player in the Arctic. Key implications of this scenario include overfishing, strict regulations, and increased conflicts. The final scenario, Hands Off, predicts greater cooperation between Arctic and non-Arctic nations, in which China’s investment in the Arctic decreases. Both indigenous people and the Arctic Council have much more influence on the future of the Arctic. Possible implications include fish farming in the northern countries, increased disease from wild fish and an increase in the price of wild fish. A major part of scenario building is predicting possible wildcards: those things or events that are less likely to happen but have a great impact on the scenarios. The wildcards for these three scenarios include cooling of the Arctic, meteorite/aliens, major oil spill, and military conflicts.
Business Index North
Erlend Bullvåg, the Dean of the Nord University Business School, provided a synthesis and results from the Business Index North (BIN). The idea of this index is the valuation of Arctic development according to the business opportunities and challenges in the region. He articulated that, through business, people could have a better understanding of what is happening, as well as improving well-being. It is important to have the best, informed criteria to evaluate business. The level of this index should be measured in a periodic report with insight and trends in business activity considering the different groups, from investors to media. This project has been implemented from November 2015 until December 2018, but it is expected to continue. The Barents Euro-Arctic region was chosen in order to conduct the BIN research. That area includes the Nordic countries and Russian, regions in the North, like the Murmansk region, the Republic of Karelia, the
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Arkhangelsk region, the Republic of Komi, and Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The BIN reflects different economic policies, accounting techniques and challenges or opportunities for economic development in the High North. The development of the High North brings global attention to the region, as it can provide new sea routes, new opportunities, but it also offers new challenges, such as difficulties in accessing resources.
Mr. Bullvåg acknowledged the efforts of different contributors to the BIN. They include Nord University, Nordland County Council, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc. The speaker emphasized the following topics: People in the North, Work in the High North, Industry and Production, Innovations, Enterprises, Infrastructure and Logistics, Natural Resources, and the Highlights of International Cooperation.
The BIN showed different aspects of Arctic development. For example, the graph of population changes shows that population in the BIN area is growing significantly slower than in Norway, Sweden and Finland in total; that means that something is going wrong in the development of this region. Another big problem is that there is a decrease in the youth population in many countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The next aspect was Work in the North. The High North employs almost 750 thousand people, that is 7.9% of the workforce in the Nordic countries. The majority of the workforce is employed in agriculture, forestry, fishing, transport and storage, public authorities and national defense, construction, education and human health.
There is less employment in financial and insurance activities, trade, information and communication, mining and real estate, and in professional and scientific development. The Arctic needs to create new workplaces at a higher rate, as the job creation speed in Norway, Sweden, and Finland in total is five net jobs per 1000 workers per year, while in the North this speed is just 2.2 net jobs per 1000 workers per year. The last important aspect, covered in the presentation, was Innovations. During the last 20 years the region, which had the greatest number of patent applications in the Nordic countries, was North Ostrobothnia. North Norway has a significant part of the products, which are new to the enterprise or to the market. For example, Russia shows the shifts from “old” to “new” products just in the Sakhalin area. These changes are oil driven.
It was noted that the High North should be more innovative in unusual spheres as well, such as logistics or tourism. To conclude, the speaker climate change is creating new challenges but also opportunities. In addition, different components are needed for the development of business in the North: transportation, infrastructure, working places, innovations, knowledge and so on. The development scenarios of the Arctic region were compiled based on these assumptions. The Arctic region is undergoing significant changes, which bring opportunities and challenges, but having more people, jobs and innovations will make the High North more attractive.
Erlend Bullvåg presents Business Index North (BIN).
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Session 6: The Arctic and the Blue Dimension
Contributing authors: Roman Babaev, Alina Buzolina, Sofie Gundersen, Valeriia Kolesnyk, Marina Markova, Artem Rusanov, John-Fredrik Soleim, Johanna Maria Sormunen, and Milena Vilinskaia. Lead author: Mark Stoller
The panel of session 6 was moderated by Jan-Gunnar Winther, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Tore Hattrem, State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed ocean and ocean-based activities regarding common and shared fisheries and Norwegian policy in relation to neighboring countries.
Norwegian welfare depends on resources from the sea, and Norway has an interest in seeing clear and predictable rules connected with offshore jurisdiction. Norway intends to pursue close cooperation with its neighbors to ensure the oceans remain healthy and productive. Since the agreement with Russia in the Barents Sea, Norway has granted three licenses to encourage future value creation and employment in the blue economy. The post-agreement period marks a ‘new chapter’ in Norway’s history, underscoring three points: firstly, the importance of clear rules for ocean jurisdiction, and continued commitment to the UNCLOS framework; secondly, ensuring close cooperation with neighbors on the matters of harvesting and commercial resources; thirdly, ensuring the sustained health and productivity of the oceans. Norway will continue to advocate this position at the Our Oceans Conference to be held in the United States in September of 2016. Existing challenges to ocean productivity include global warming, temperature rise, and melting snow, which threaten traditional livelihoods, and the migration of mussels and fish stocks. In closing, the speaker stated that the Norwegian strategy for developing the potential of the blue future is to commit to international cooperation, to develop new technologies to facilitate value creation in ocean environments and industries, and to seek innovative modes of economic and environmental stability for the future.
Finnish Ambassador, Erik Lundberg’s presentation identified the need for stronger cross-border cooperation among Nordic countries, and the desire for greater balance between environmental protection and sustainable growth in the High North. The Arctic Council must continue as the main forum for cooperation.
It was stressed that Nordic countries are all very competent and have extensive and complementary knowledge that ought to strengthen sustainable development in the High North. Finland’s priorities are to see enhanced opportunities for sustainable development, greater protection of the natural environment,
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attracting increased attention and employment in the High North, and working with local peoples. Finland’s telecommunications and electronics industries were cited, along with the capacity to further develop clean- tech solutions. A strong desire for enhanced scientific knowledge was stressed. As a country with much land in the High North, and a large population there, Finland will contribute its cumulative experience in developing Arctic technologies and its knowledge of environmental protection to High North discourses.
Finland has valuable experience in the maritime sector, especially operating in winter conditions, and will help to develop these opportunities; it also recognizes and encourages the strengthening of both the Arctic Council and the Arctic Economic Council (AEC) and commends the role of the United States as outgoing chair of the Arctic Council. Through the AEC, Finland also welcomes the role of the European Union in enhancing environmental and developmental sustainability in the region. In particular, Finland hopes to see growth in pan-Nordic tourism (through cooperation between Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian companies) and the development of an Arctic business corridor to encourage local businesses to progress towards international stature. Collectively, Nordic countries have much to offer in terms of making the Arctic a sustainable place to live.
Jim Dehart, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Norway, discussed how issues in the High North and the Arctic Ocean have become increasingly part of the United States’ interest. The United States has been admittedly slow to recognize the importance of the blue future but, under President Obama, has adjusted its position. Secretary Clinton was the first to attend a ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council, and involvement has grown considerably since then. President Obama also visited the Arctic in 2015 and placed great emphasis on the importance of climate change to the region. “The High North has our attention, and the related issue of oceans has our attention,” he said. As Chair of the Arctic Council, the US has committed itself to improving the economic and living conditions of the people there; to addressing impacts of climate change; and to enhancing Arctic Ocean safety and stewardship. The US wants to ensure the continuous forward motion of the Arctic Council and the important work it has done and looks forward to hosting the Oceans Conference in Washington DC in September, where it will focus on issues of sustainable fisheries, combating marine pollution, and the advancement of Arctic sciences. In closing, three points were made.
Firstly, Arctic maritime issues are now a high priority for the United States government. Secondly, the US intends to pursue policies aimed at ensuring the Arctic is a zone of peaceful cooperation between all stakeholders and nations. Thirdly, a balance between economic opportunities and environmental concerns should continue to be pursued.
The presentation of Helene Tofte, of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (representing 140 members in offshore trade), emphasized that the future of the Norwegian offshore will continue to be blue and that Norway will play a strong role in developing its potential for value creation and economic opportunities.
Norway is currently the sixth largest shipping nation in the world by fleet value but faces challenges from the low price of oil and uncertainties from weakened growth and falling demand in key markets. To meet the demands of a growing global population, shipowners and operators are adapting to the needs for offshore food production and delivery and responding to demands for improved logistical infrastructure and nautical technologies. In the future, there will be more “Teslas of the sea” and various forms of electronic maritime transport, such as more electric ferries. To seize the opportunities, shipowners must not aim to conquer the Arctic Ocean but to master it. Norway is in a favorable position, having great experience creating value, employment, and promoting innovation in the offshore regions. A future challenge is to continue these practices in a more sustainable manner. In a short film, entitled “The New Blue”, it was emphasized that the next 100 years will be the “century of the oceans.”
Torgeir Edvardsen, the Senior Economist at OECD, provided details of the future ocean economy based on the recent research of the OECD’s international futures program. Global challenges include climate change
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and global warming, population growth, energy shortages, carbon emissions, and world economic growth.
We cannot “squeeze” the planet but must harvest the “right fish”. The OECD expects a slowing of economic growth between now and 2060. Uncertainties will lead to a rise in new energy sources, such as Liquid Wind and Waterfall LNG, in countries like Japan, China, and South Korea. The oceans are under continuing stress from pollution and growing coastal populations. The main challenge is to develop the oceans’ potential without exacerbating these stresses. The OECD aims at a coherent forward assessment of growth potential and assessment of risks around future development and investment needs. The goals of the project are to heighten the visibility of the maritime economy; locate opportunities for sustainable growth; and assess emerging maritime activities. When it comes to international management of the oceans, sectoral approaches are inadequate, and a comprehensive and multilateral approach is needed. The OECD is developing the Ocean Economy Database and estimates USD $1.5 trillion in oil and gas, and tourism. To strengthen the database, international data is needed. For policymakers, the OECD recommends greater international cooperation in the fields of science and technology, strengthened integrated ocean management, improvements to statistical and methodological bases of research, and building capacity for ocean industries.
The presentation of Elana Wilson Rowe, Senior Research Fellow at NUPI and the High North Center, addressed Arctic futures and complexity, and the question of what thinking about the future does. Rowe reflected upon experiences in Canada at Frobisher Bay, present-day Iqaluit, and stressed the importance of looking broadly at history and asking whether or not the Arctic is an exceptional or unique space. She cited Murmansk and Shtokman as “Arctic ghost projects”, those that are highly anticipated and hoped for but which do not come to fruition. Anticipating the future and actively planning for it is a fundamental task of modern government. In this context, narratives about the future come to matter to national, international, and local attitudes and developments. It is, therefore, important for educators to adopt a cautionary position and to develop training and education tools that are robust enough for the complexity of today.
“High North Hero”
Contributing authors: Marine Vié, Jie Tai, Nikita Redkin, Maksim Chupin, Vitali Rack, Elvira Kruchinina, and Elvira Pylypenko. Lead author: Valeria Guerrieri
Before announcing the winner of the High North Hero 2016, Frode Mellemvik, Director of the High North Center, explained that more than one year in advance, the High North Center of Business and Governance had started to discuss the possibility of assigning a prize to a “hero” of the High North. Thus, a committee composed of different scholars and people involved in the Arctic had been formed. Member of the committee, Hege Berg Thurmann, Group Leader Arctic at DNV GL, was given the floor to announce the first High North Hero. Speaking on behalf of the committee, she emphasized that the High North Hero Award has been created to honor a person, organization or company, which has contributed to the High North or to develop the High North region in recent years. The public were invited to nominate candidates, and a national committee of Arctic experts appointed by the High North Center selected the winner. In addition to the recognition of their efforts, the selected winner would also receive a prize of 50,000 Norwegian kroner and a High North Hero diploma. The selection criteria focused on business opportunities, job creation and innovation in the High North. In addition, the local and national impact of the candidates had also been taken into account. Overall, the committee received 37 applications, with the nominees coming from a range of sectors, including business, academia, and public service. All eight Arctic nations were represented, and both Northerners and indigenous candidates were included among the nominees. Ms. Thurmann further explained that the selection process revealed something, which the members of the committee already
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suspected, namely that the people—both within and outside the High North—care deeply about the region’s future. For this reason, the specific choice to present this award during the High North Dialogue stemmed from the acknowledgment of the unique effort shown on this occasion to develop human resources for the High North’s future. Finally, to introduce the winner, Ms. Thurmann stressed that he is “someone who is all about seeing the tension in things and in regions, someone who, through dedication, knowledge and very great effort, has proven that it is possible for one person to have a tremendous impact on the matters one is passionate about”. For all these reasons, the committee decided to assign the High North Hero prize to a person who has worked hard highlighting opportunities for economic growth, business development and job creation in the High North, as well as raising international awareness on the High North economic potential.
As a former Prime Minister, the High North Hero has been active for decades in forums and discussions connected to the Arctic, and he was the founding father of the EU Northern Dimension Policy, which many consider the first effort to include the North into EU Arctic policy. Finally, Ms. Thurmann revealed the name of the High North Hero 2016: Finnish former Prime Minister, Paavo Lipponen.
Mr. Lipponen began his acceptance speech by thanking the selection committee and by describing the award as “one of the greatest moments in my life”. He expressed his appreciation for the conference as an opportunity to listen to Arctic experts and to learn something extremely valuable. Mr. Lipponen also stressed that the real northern heroes are those who work in different Arctic sectors, such as fishing, reindeer hunting or even the researchers, who risk their lives every day. In his talk, special mention was reserved for the indigenous peoples, who, particularly in Norway, Finland, and the United States, are constantly on the front line and whose role needs to be fully appreciated. The former Prime Minister then recalled some memories of his early life, which – since he was born in Lapland – was always surrounded by Arctic scenery. In fact, he first visited Sweden when he was two years old, later took a ship from Oslo to the United States to study at an American university and came back to the West Coast to work on a Norwegian ship, where he collected some great memories along with the Norwegian sailors. Regarding the themes discussed during the conference, Mr. Lipponen expressed his desire to comment from a sustainable development perspective rather than merely an economic one. According to him, the environment is, in fact, the real issue in the Arctic, and the governments of the Arctic Council, especially the United States and Russia, need to address the threat posed by black carbon. As he recalled, John Kerry said last year that, in the Arctic, the damage caused by black carbon is two thousand times greater than that caused by CO2. For this reason, Mr. Lipponen expressed his perplexity regarding whether anything is concretely being done about this issue. Although currently trying to explore ways to launch concrete projects, he also shared his idea that local heating methods employed in Northern and Western Russia should be revised. Regarding the United States, the questions that Mr. Lipponen addressed were quite similar: Where are the concrete steps? Why is more importance given to talk rather than action? In this sense, Mr. Lipponen recalled a successful example of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership, namely a project that received a financing of 1.5 billion euros in order to model wastewater-cleaning plants in North-Western Russia. This project has also produced positive effects on the
Paavo Lipponen accepting the first ever High North Hero Award.
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waters of Northern Finland, showing thus how Arctic nations are strongly linked with each other. Together with another plan aimed at finding a way to handle nuclear waste in North-Western Russia, this example shows how it is possible to achieve the concrete results that Mr. Lipponen strongly supports. According to the High North Hero, because of the challenges we face, it is vital to keep at least one line of cooperation open with Russia as well as with the other Arctic countries. Concluding his acceptance speech, Mr. Lipponen emphasized that he considers the High North award as a “Nobel prize” and that he intends to use it in order to facilitate the engagement of students and young people in the discussion of Arctic issues and in the development of projects.
Session 7: Future Arctic Leaders – Talking Barents
Contributing authors: Egor Alekseev, Benedicte Jonassen, Hege Kallbekken, Mikhail Kosmynin, Andiy Saller, Anastasiia Tabakova, and Aminam Talipova. Lead authors: Hema Nadarajah and Irina Zhilina.
The ‘Future Arctic Leaders - Talking Barents’ panel comprised of six young Arctic researchers and activists, who each gave their perspective on issues that need to be tackled in the Arctic. Victoria Herrmann from the Arctic Institute moderated the panel discussion. Some of the major themes discussed included environmental issues, sustainable development, cross-border cooperation, indigenous people, education and security in the Arctic.
Future Arctic Leaders – Talking Barents panel
Synne Bjørbæk, Deputy Mayor of Bodø, put forward her views on future resource management in North Norway, prior to the panel discussion of the young Arctic leaders. Referring to the abundance of the natural resources in the area, she described the northern counties as a “gold coast”. She introduced the concept of
‘white gold’, used to collectively group alternative (renewable) resources such as the hydropower energy sector, fisheries, aquaculture and tourism. Ms. Bjørbæk emphasized the colonial history of the “gold coast”
term, implying a growing interest in the exploitation of the Arctic for the benefits of external stakeholders, most of which favor hydrocarbon development in the region. She believed that the main stakeholders in the High North should be local communities. According to her, oil and gas development cannot sustain the wealth of the local communities in the long term. Therefore, sectors ensuring local prosperity such as hydroelectric
